LPSB committee urges guard at meetings

A security guard could become a regular presence at Lafayette Parish School Board meetings.

The board’s executive committee recommended Tuesday that the board president have the authority to request security for all regularly scheduled board meetings rather than on an as-needed basis. The recommendation will go before the full board within the next few weeks.

Last month, the full board agreed to give its president the ability to decide when he or she wanted security at meetings. Lafayette School Board President Hunter Beasley convened the committee to discuss whether security should be present regularly.

Board and executive committee member Shelton Cobb said he felt it best for a security guard, likely a school resource officer, attend all regular meetings.

“I think having security is a good idea,” Cobb said. “I don’t know if we should have options, because you don’t know what’s going to happen at a board meeting.”

Beasley said he would not anticipate requesting security at non-regular meetings, or other meetings.

Board and executive committee member Tommy Angelle said he envisions the security being in place to ensure order among audience, while also giving the public the proper opportunities to speak on issues.

“One of the reasons for this is that some people would blurt out things unrecognized. The chair would ask them to refrain and they kept doing it,” Angelle said. “With this, you would have the option of asking a security guard to remove that person.”

Another board committee began work on choosing its permanent legal counsel. The law firm of Hammonds, Sills, Adkins and Guice has been named the interim counsel after the board discontinued using the services of the district attorney’s office.

Angelle gathered several requests for proposals from other school boards in several states to give committee members an idea of what other boards seek in terms of legal services. Some of the suggested parameters include a law firm with extensive experience in education law and leadership experience.

Superintendent Pat Cooper cautioned that any RFPs issued by the board would have to comply with Louisiana law. Angelle said that would be the case once the final documents are prepared.

Angelle said he expects the committee to meet again with the next two weeks to get their feedback on what a final RFP will look like.